DetectingWales.com

Hello,
this is my first day on this site and a complete beginner to metal detecting. I don't own one yet but do have around £300 pounds to spend, and it's burning a hole in my pocket!!
I just wanted to know your thoughts on -
am I spending to much on my first detector?
I had thought about getting a Tesoro compadre £190 Garrett euro ace £260 or mine lab x terra 305 £328.
It's going to be used on fields not beaches.
I didn't want to buy one and a few months down the line feel like I need to upgrade!
Is the mine lab a good machine, or is it a detector to upgrade to after I've learnt the basics?
All advice is greatly appreciated,

Hi Pancho,and a big warm welcome to Detecting Wales forum.
Plenty of well informed and helpful people to call on should you need a bit of unbiased help and information should you need it.
With regards to a metal detector,from my own experience, I found that the Garrett ACE 250 is a great machine to get to terms with,its very easy to understand, and actually does turn up the goodies,I even found hammered coins with the one I had.
Hope this helps a bit,and I'm sure that others on DW will also help you make a detector decision.
Anyway, good luck,and I hope you find everything you go searching for.👍

Hi Pancho and welcome to DW and metal detecting ;)
The first thing I would say is that all the models you've listed are pretty basic machines and you would probably want to upgrade in only a short time and if you find that detecting isn't for you then I'm afraid,like cars, your machine will have lost 25% of its price simply by inserting the battery :-\ So one way around these risks is to buy second hand this way you can afford a better machine to start with and you shouldn't lose money if you don't want to continue.
The Xterras are lovely machines but in reality the 705 is the only one to consider (I had many great finds with mine) a new one can be had via Amazon at the moment for £399 which is a bit more than you mention but is an incredible offer price.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/X-Terra-705-Universal-Metal-Detector/dp/B0085ZEODG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1444678851&sr=8-1&keywords=minelab (http://www.amazon.co.uk/X-Terra-705-Universal-Metal-Detector/dp/B0085ZEODG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1444678851&sr=8-1&keywords=minelab)

Detecnicks also have a second hand one with a DD coil for £325 they also have a Tesoro Tejon for £350
http://www.detecnicks.co.uk/2nd_hand_Metal_Detectors.html (http://www.detecnicks.co.uk/2nd_hand_Metal_Detectors.html)

Staffs also have a Whites M6 at £285 which would be worth considering
http://staffsmetaldetectorsonlineshop.co.uk/whites-m6-507-p.asp (http://staffsmetaldetectorsonlineshop.co.uk/whites-m6-507-p.asp)

Failing those keep an eye out on ebay ;)

Welcome to the DW Forum Pancho

Hi,
Thanks so much for your opinions I think I may take your advice save a little more and get a 705 from amazon.
Just out of interest does the tesoro tejon offer any kind of match in terms of performance to the x terra 705?
Thanks again all.

Sorry forgot to also ask does anybody have any views on deeptech machines?
Thanks again.

Welcome and enjoy to you.

                                  Welcome to the forum. The Garrett EuroAce is a nice little machine for the price and I used one for a couple of years both for coin shooting on the beach and detecting inland on pasture. You can certainly count on many finds whilst using the EuroAce, but it hates wet salty beach sand and one has to reduce the sensitivity whilst suffering a loss of depth on the wet stuff.

                                  Here are some finds from one plot, whilst using a Garrett EuroAce.



 

Hi Pancho the Tejon is a powerful machine it's nickname is "The Animal" for that very reason but it also will easily punish you if you get it wrong and isn't as adaptable as the Xterra is and with the addition of the Nel coil the Xterra is easily a match on depth.
The Deeptech machines are still relatively few and far between and I personally don't know anyone who uses one though you do see quite a few turning up second hand which in itself raises warning signals.
This was found on a DW Rally with the Xterra 70, predecessor of the 705, and is just one of many found with it ;)
 
(http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/vv294/Chef_02/2009_05020003.jpg)

Hi all,
One more question and I promise I bother you again on the subject :)
Is £400 a good price for the 705 x terra if it's fitted with the 9 concentric coil and not the 10 inch??
Thanks all!!!

I remember that rally  ;) . Goodluck with getting into detecting Pancho. Its a great hobby if you have decent places to go to.

Don't worry you keep asking that's what we're here for ;)
Yes it is a good price as the normal retail is or was over £500, the coin above was found with the concentric ;)

Hi welcome to Detecting Wales, you've had good advice from a few already, I would take Geoffs advice, I don't think you will go far wrong.....just keep asking for advice if needed no one will mind here mate, good luck on your searching.  ;)....spikey

Hi all,
Going to order my new detector this morning and wanted to ask if the
 cscope 6mxi performs as well as the minelab 705?
The reviews I have read on both machines seem very good, but as a complete newbie to this I just thought the cscopes control panel looked a bit easier to understand!!

Having used both I would say not the 6m is a sensitive machine and may have the edge on small targets when the 705 is in 7.5 kHz mode but if using it is 18.75kHz then that advantage is lost the simple fact that a Coiltek 15" WOT coil is available is always going to give the Xterra the edge on depth  :-\

Thanks the the quick reply Ill get the minelab i think.
Thanks.

The Tejon is an amazing machine, really deep and sensitive, but I wouldn't go there... borrowed one once, hard to get to grips with, no audio tones, only the one, 2 discriminators to set up and use just to ID the iron, way too hard to learn for starting out I think.

Hi all,
Ordered my new minelab xterra 705 today from Deteknicks for £400, they price matched Amazon....
I asked them if they could match the Amazon price and said that I would prefer to give them my business rather than Amazon.
Can't wait for delivery Monday!!!

Congratulations "Pancho" well done on your choice of detector,I've never owned one but as its a minelab, well you can't go wrong !!
Wish you all the best of luck,and I hope you find all you go searching for.👍

Well done Pancho, wise choice.  Plus there are a few members that have used the xterra and will gladly advise you if you ask.
Try it out in your garden first, to get the hang of it. You'll be surprised what will come up.  All the best with it.

Well done Pancho you won't regret it ;) This is a booklet that Minelab produced a few years ago for the Xterras users you might want to download it to have a read....

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bxtf-O7KMnEnUEJ0RzhmOHlxOG8/view?usp=sharing

Whilest it's a good read just remember that it is USA focused and they have nice big, compared to some Roman and hammered, coins and most experienced 705 users use it in all metal, two tone and learn the numbers.
Good luck with it  ;)

Will do, great thanks. I'll read that in work tonight!!